A subsidiary of the Jospong Group of Companies (JGC), EcoZoil, in collaboration with Friends of The Nation, a non-governmental Organisation, has embarked on clean-up exercises along a number of coastal communities to mark World Water Day.

The exercise on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, was carried out in the four coastal regions of the country—Greater Accra, Volta, Central and Western Regions—to mark the annual event which is held on March 22.

Workers of the company were provided with protected gears to keep them safe during the operation.

The safety wears included boots, gloves, overall jackets and nose masks. Community members who participated in the clean-up were also provided with tools such as rakes, shovels and brooms.

Pupils from the Abuesi Methodist Junior High School (JHS) also participated in the clean-up exercise.

One of the pupils who spoke to media said they heard about the exercise and thus sought permission from their teachers to join in order to have a clean environment.

Speaking to journalists, the Assemblyman for Apo Electoral Area in the Shama District in the Western Region, Mr. Ebenezer Amoquandoh, expressed displeasure at the current state of the beach at Apo.

He attributed the deplorable state of the beach to the practice of open defecation and dumping of refuse by ‘recalcitrant residents’ of Apo.

He said his priority was to make the Apo beach one of the cleanest in the region, but said the lack of toilet facilities in the community was derailing all his efforts.

He therefore pleaded with Ecozoil to help them collect the garbage gathered from their periodic clean-up exercises.

“I am not giving up on my goal to make Apo beach the cleanest, but more importantly, collaborating with the chiefs and the fisher-folk to build a public toilet facility to end the unfortunate situation they find themselves,” he assured.

Again, Mr Amoquandoh appealed to the government to assist them compete a place of convenience which was about 70% completed.

He pointed out that the toilet project had stalled because of the lack of funds, but cautioned residents to refrain from defecating along the beach because “anybody found culpable will be dealt with accordingly.”

Briefing the media later, the Business Development Manager at Ecozoil, Daniel Lamptey who participated in the exercise, said his outfit cleans the beaches on a daily basis, adding that they already have personnel in the four coastal regions who do this operation.

According to him, when the beaches are very clean and devoid of dirt, they will boost the country's tourism.

He indicated that nobody would want to spend a holiday under an unhygienic environment, and thus urged the residents of Apo to consciously make the effort of keeping the beach clean.

“Furthermore, people could also use the beach as a recreational centre and also as a holiday destination if proper care is taken,” he noted.

Mr Lamptey entreated Ghanaians to stop dumping waste into drains.

Interacting with the residents, a leader of the group from Friends of The Nation, Madam Anita implored the residents of Apo to always keep the beach healthy.

“I not sure anyone wants the beach to be in an unhealthy state so we must all help in keeping our beaches clean,” she charged, and pledged her NGO’s support to always lend a helping hand to make sure water bodies in the country were clean.